chase one's (own) tail

(informal)rush around ineffectually

(非正式)無(wú)謂瞎忙

on someone's tail

following someone closely

緊跟，跟蹤

a police car stayed on his tail for half a mile.

一輛警車在他后面跟蹤了半英里。

a piece of tail

a police car stayed on his tail for half a mile.

一輛警車在他后面跟蹤了半英里。

the tail of one's eye

(dated)the outer corner of one's eye

(舊)眼角

the tail wags the dog

the less important or subsidiary factor, person, or thing dominates a situation; the usual roles are reversed

尾巴搖狗（處于從屬地位的人或事物控制局勢(shì)；本末倒置）

the financing system is becoming the tail that wags the dog.

真是尾巴搖狗: 財(cái)務(wù)系統(tǒng)反而逐漸地在控制一切了。

with one's tail between one's legs

(informal)in a state of dejection or humiliation

(非正式)夾著尾巴；灰溜溜地

with one's tail up

(informal)in a confident or cheerful mood

(非正式)趾高氣揚(yáng)地

tail back

(Brit.)(of traffic) become congested and form a tailback

(英)（交通）堵塞排成長(zhǎng)隊(duì)

tail something in (或 into)

insert the end of a beam, stone, or brick, into (a wall)

把（梁、石頭、磚的端頭）嵌入（墻內(nèi)）

tail off (或 away)

gradually diminish in amount, strength, or intensity

（數(shù)量、力量、強(qiáng)度）逐漸減弱

the economic boom was beginning to tail off.

經(jīng)濟(jì)迅猛發(fā)展的勢(shì)頭正在逐漸地減弱。

tail down

To ease a heavy load down a steep slope.

將重物緩緩移下陡坡

tail off 或 tail away

To diminish gradually; dwindle or subside

逐漸消失；變小或減弱

The fireworks tailed off into darkness.

煙火在夜空中逐漸消失